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Boys cross country places third in state championship meet

The Meet of Champions was held November 15 on the challenging 5K course at Willard Park in Fort Devens.

By Mary McCabe ·

Acton-Carlisle athletes Joey Bodenrader (No. 906) and Jackson Misek (No. 910) are in perfect sync and in the thick of the pack at the Division 1 state championships (Meet of Champions) held November 15. Photo by Adam Synnestvedt
Acton-Carlisle athletes Joey Bodenrader (No. 906) and Jackson Misek (No. 910) are in perfect sync and in the thick of the pack at the Division 1 state championships (Meet of Champions) held November 15. Photo by Adam Synnestvedt

The Acton-Carlisle boys cross country team placed third among 23 teams (188 athletes) in the Division 1 state championships (the Meet of Champions) held November 15 on the challenging 5K course at Willard Park in Fort Devens. (The Division 2 and 3 state championships were part of that event.) The Patriots’ strength was on full display at both the 1-mile and the 2-mile marks, with the seven Patriots athletes never separated by more than 10 seconds. Brookline and Natick took first and second place, respectively.

  • Team season accomplishments: MIAA Division 1(B) state champions; Dual County League champions; Dual County regular season champions (5-0); Fort Devens Pre-Championship Invitational champions (varsity); Fort Devens Pre-Championship Invitational champions (JV); Bay State Invitational champions (varsity); Bay State Invitational champions (JV).
  • Unsung heroes: The top five Patriots finished six seconds apart — the tightest 1-5 spread of any team in any division — and averaged the third-fastest time across all teams and all divisions (69 teams, 563 athletes).

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